Want to feel excited every time you open your closet doors? The solution is a simplified wardrobe… and these 6 questions will help you get there!
A few months after my 2nd child was born (the summer of 2014), I had the opportunity to work with a friend of a friend who was a personal stylist — sounds fancy, doesn’t it?
She came into my home and looked through my clothing while asking me a bunch of questions about the types of fabrics I liked best, the fit I preferred, and what I felt flattered my current figure most.
Then she took me shopping and had me try on lots of different pieces to narrow down my personal favorite “style” of clothing.
Honestly, it was a little out of my comfort zone, but I learned so much in the process.
Now, almost a decade (and 2 more children) later, the questions she asked and the advice she gave me way back then are still what I think through whenever I declutter my closet and before I purchase anything new.
These questions have transformed my closet!
Although my closet has always been “organized”, I realized I was wasting time, energy, and money buying and organizing clothes I hardly wore and often didn’t even love.
With less clothing, it’s easier to keep our closet neat and organized without as much effort.
It’s been a huge “win” for me and our family over the years.
This is what our closet looked like back in 2014.
This is what it looks like now.
Not only is our current closet LESS than half the size of our previous closet (read more about the switch here), but we still have lots of room to breathe, including 2 empty shelves!
And it’s so much easier to get dressed each morning with fewer options — all of which I like and all of which fit me well.
So what questions helped me get to this point?
Just a few simple questions that, if answered honestly, could do some major damage to your current closet (in a good way!)
1. What is your favorite type of clothing to wear? (a general style)
2. What is your favorite shirt, pants, sweater, etc.? (be specific)
3. Why do you think you like those particular items?
4. What do you like about your body and want to accentuate?
5. What would you prefer to cover up?
6. What do you wear around the house? when you go out? to church? to the grocery store?
After only a few minutes of thinking through these questions, I realize why I wasn’t wearing the majority of my clothes.
I realized why I liked what I liked and why I didn’t wear so many other items.
I realized I was wasting time and money finding really good deals on colors, fabrics, and styles of clothing I never felt great wearing.
I realized I could donate the vast majority of my clothing and probably never regret it.
Sigh… better late than never, right!?!
My Style Preferences:
With a few exceptions, I’m a jeans and t-shirt/sweatshirt kind of gal.
I like flowy dresses in the summer and puffer vests or jean jackets during colder months.
I prefer cotton over all other materials and opt for slightly baggier tops these days.
I like a crewneck more than any other style — mainly because I have a very bony neck/chest and like to keep it covered!
I’m a fan of comfort over style (although I think you can do both).
I prefer neutrals — black, grey, white, navy, and dark green — but I’ll wear a few pops of color every now and then!
After working with the stylist and answering these questions, I began weeding through my closet, little by little, over the next few months (no rush to do it all at once).
What I eliminated from my wardrobe:
- all dress pants (I prefer dresses and skirts)
- any short dresses and skirts (they don’t work with kids!)
- anything made of silk or wool (too sweaty and itchy)
- any fabrics that don’t have some stretch
- super bulky sweaters and sweatshirts
- tight-fitting tops
- logo t-shirts that aren’t cute enough to wear out and about
- low-waist pants
- almost all my shorts — I never wear them!
- shoes with heals
- socks and underwear with loose elastic
- anything brown (I prefer black/grey/navy/cream)
- anything that needs to be ironed, dry-cleaned, or has special washing requirements
- sleeveless tops (except a few layering tanks)
- all belts except one
- all purses and bags except my cross body bag
- all yoga pants (I prefer joggers)
- all my scarves — I used to love them, but never wear them anymore
- anything that doesn’t fit me well right now
If I had to guess, I’d estimate that I removed close to 75% of my clothing over the course of a year!
But it was mostly items I didn’t love or that didn’t fit super well.
Keep in mind, I took the decluttering process in stages. I purged quite a bit in the beginning; but over the last several years, I’ve honed in on my personal “style” and have continued to weed out anything that doesn’t fit within the confines of the clothing I know I will wear.
All this to say, you don’t need to figure it all out today!
By simply asking myself a few easy questions (and honestly answering them) I was able to remove SO many items from my closet, without worrying that I “might need them again someday”.
Even all these years later, I still have a bit of a thrill when I open my closet and realize it’s filled with clothing I actually want to wear and clothing that fits my current body type.
I hope I never tire of our tiny closet!
1. What is your favorite type of clothing to wear? (a general style)
2. What is your favorite shirt, pants, sweater, etc.? (be specific)
3. Why do you think you like those particular items?
4. What do you like about your body and want to accentuate?
5. What would you prefer to cover up?
6. What do you wear around the house? when you go out? to church? to the grocery store?
I could probably come up with a mile-long list of closet-organizing tips and tricks, but for me, it just comes down to asking myself these questions and only keeping/buying items that align with my answers.
I challenge you to do the same!
Rhonda says
Something that helped me: using an AI Stylist, called Style DNA. I downloaded an app and paid less than $20 to use for 3 months. You take a selfie and it helps you learn your “color season”. Some people may not want to do this for maybe security reasons (facial recognition software?); there are some in-person services that do this, but it’s a much heftier fee (around $250 per person; discounted if you do a group session). Style DNA helped me figure out that I am “light summer”, and suggested colors (including makeup colors) that look good on me. Ever since then I only focus on those colors; it does make shopping decisions easier and helped me create more of a capsule wardrobe. The suggested colors are ones that I would not have always gravitated toward in the past, but I do find that I get more compliments and the suggested colors do indeed look better on me than other colors I would have chosen.
Andrea says
This is such a cool idea — something I had no idea even existed (although I should have known there would be an app for this! LOL!)
Thanks so much for sharing this very affordable idea!
Kaylie says
This was SO helpful! I’m getting ready to move into a new house with less closet space, so this will help me prepare for that. Plus, I’m looking forward to the freedom of having less to manage!
Andrea says
yay — glad this will be helpful for you during this exciting move!!
Donna Marie says
You are so right about wearing only 20% of our clothing and the rest just takes up space! Might as well give it away for someone else to use.
Andrea says
yes, so much of our wardrobe just takes up space. I love having more space and few decisions about “what to wear!”
Alice Cagle says
Thanks Andrea, I can’t wait to start on my closet. I will have to take before and after photos also. Great tips! Alice
Andrea says
yes, it’s so fun to look back on before/after pictures! Enjoy the process!
Pascale says
Years ago, I experimented with a uniform for a few months. I loved the freedom and simplicity of it so much that I’ve been doing this for several years now and I wouldn’t go back. Since I don’t wear jewellery or makeup anymore, it’s very easy getting ready every day.
Andrea says
I have a friend who needs to get dressed up for work… but she wears a “uniform” at home. She 3 of the same pair of comfy, stretchy, “jeans” and a handful of the same tops and that’s what she wears ALL the time at home. She loves the simplicity of it and loves changing into her cozy home uniform every day after work!
Nancy says
I have traveled for 3 months with 3 outfits, but every day? It’s so hard. When I declutter I invariably am sad about several items. I only shop at thrift consignment estate sales, it’s so time consuming and nothing is exactly right. Maybe I should go to stores?!? Get a stylist? That’s SO out of my comfort zone. Seems like men have it so much easier.
Andrea says
wow — 3 outfits for 3 months… that’s amazing! And yes, I agree that men seem to have it easier 🙂
I’d say find a stylist (in person or online) that process was SO eye-opening to me and completely changed the way I shop for clothing for myself. I no longer buy things that don’t “work” for me (in stores or at thrift shops).
Debra says
Hi Andrea,
I used your method for simplifying my closet and I can’t tell you how well it worked. I realized I only wore certain things, and the temptation to keep things “just in case” was always so great. But now, I have a closet of clothes that I actually like and wear, and because I gravitate towards blue, most of them can be interchanged to make new outfits! Plus, I was so happy to make a charitable donation, as well as say “goodbye” to looking at those same things on a hanger collecting dust. Lol
Andrea says
yes — this makes me SO happy to read! I’m thrilled you have simplified your closet AND your mornings!
Anne E. says
I am at a new stage in my life — unexpected retirement. I needed to weed out my “work clothes”. I do volunteer, but I find I really don’t need all the clothes I have. Your “6 questions” are very helpful as I try to downsize my possessions and simplify my life. Thank you.
Andrea says
great — I’m glad these questions have been helpful! it’s always tough when you go through transitions. Just remember, you don’t need to make all your clothing decision at one time!
Sonya says
I got rid of 75% of my clothing over a year ago and was shocked by the fact that I didn’t miss anything! Getting dressed is so much simpler. As for my work wardrobe (I do home health care,) I switched to all scrubs, also way simpler! One question for you Andrea, can you share where you got your closet dividers? Thanks.
Andrea says
this is awesome! my sister is a nurse and swears by scrubs to limit her wardrobe!
oh, and sorry for the delay on a response to your question… I got our closet dividers from Meijer many many years ago, but here are similar dividers on Amazon. We LOVE them!
Linda W says
When I try on clothes out of my closet. I ask myself if I would feel humiliated if someone very important saw me wearing it. That one question helps me to purge.
Andrea says
Love this!! thanks for sharing!
betheliza says
I just want to commend you on how detail, very practical living advises you give on your site. It’s all real, simple, true & easy to follow. You have beautiful kids & family. God bless you & your fam.
Lori says
Hi Andrea!
Another great post! A question-How do you navigate around “thred Up?” I mean, lots of choices and seems overwhelming in order to find exactly what I am looking for. Any hints? Can’t wait to see your new additions to your closet and so proud of you for going to the mall! LOL
Andrea says
Hey Lori — I LOVE ThredUp!
It is a little overwhelming with so many selections, but it’s also really easy to narrow it down by exactly what you’re looking for. I simply use the various search tools in the left side bar. I choose my size, the type of clothing I’m looking for (tops), then the sub category (long sleeve tops). I always search for “low price to high price” so the cheapest items show up first… and sometimes I’ll even choose specific brands or colors if I’m looking for something very specific.
I’ve found some amazing bargains on awesome used clothing. Hope you do too!
Lori says
Thanks for your quick response! One more question…Are there any specific brands you have found to be more durable, consistent quality,better made than others at ThredUp? Things are made so much cheaper now, I wondered if there are specific brands you tend to prefer when searching the site?
Love the blog!
Andrea says
My favorite brands are definitely J.Crew, Ann Taylor, and Banana Republic. I’d never spend my money in their expensive stores, but their used clothing fits me so well — and the price is right 🙂
Maggie says
Wow! I did something similar very recently to my closet and it was seriously the most liberating feeling ever! I got rid of about 2/3 of my clothes. I realized I was holding onto things that were 3-5 years old but because i spent a lot of money on them I felt terrible giving them away. So inwould make up an excuse to keep them trying to convince myself that i will wear it.
I am similar in nature, i tend to wear the same clothes over and over . I have my favorites too (especially after a baby) which are mainly leggins and well I was only able to find one pair of jeans since i had my daughter that I felt comfortable wearing. I will be following to see what your wardrobe will look like. I really want to do all my clothes shopping online but i am afraid to buy stuff without trying it on. How do you go about that?
Elise @frugalfarmwife.com says
Oh wow, I feel liberated just reading this! 🙂 It’s like a light bulb suddenly went on in my head when you said you were free to purge anything that didn’t go with jeans/short/yoga pants.
I’ve been frustrated with my inability to keep a semi-minimal, versatile wardrobe for so long, this is making me think that I need to pick one type of item (like pants or skirts) and build the rest (blouses/accessories) around it. Hmmmm…..
Andrea says
Thanks Elise! It was kind of a “lightbulb moment” for me too!
Tammy says
Just curious where you found your personal stylist. I don’t live in MI, but I’d love to have someone help me with my wardrobe.
Katie says
that has to feel so great! good for you, and I’m eager to see what new things you bought!
Heather says
Great post! I’m currently struggling with a huge wardrobe – after a pregnancy and some health issues, I think my wardrobe spans about 5 sizes! Just grabbed a trash bag to start on my closet. Thank you for your inspiring writing!
Kate @ The Beautiful Useful Project says
I LOVE seeing the empty shelves! It must be an amazing feeling to get all of those bags of stuff you don’t use out of the house.
Andrea says
Yes Kate — it feels great!
Karen says
I just wrote a post about clearing the clutter. After seeing your post I realize I HAVE A LOT of work ahead of me. Honesty is the best policy. Your post is inspiring, thanks.
http://fairiesmarket.blogspot.com/
Michele says
Purged a huge garbage bag full of stuff from my closet today and am all geared up to go through the boys’ things tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration!
Karen says
I have been waiting for this post!!! Thanks
Shawn-Dell says
I love your posts about your minimalist wardrobe. I have been purging quite a bit lately but need to streamline it even more. Those are great questions to ask yourself as you are going through the process! Thanks so much and God bless!!!!
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
I love this post because I struggle from being stressed with the amount of clutter that I have, yet, because of our income lately, I also fear purging too much in the event I may need it some day and not be able to replace it if I get rid of it. However, I am realizing that if I never wear things and don’t even like them, they probably need to go. Thank you for being such an encouragement to us. Your closet looks great!
Audrey says
Once saw that someone asked themselves, if they saw each item of clothing in the store (and didn’t already own it) would they buy it.. Good question….
Andrea says
Audrey, was this question posed recently? Because I just posted this on my facebook a few weeks ago — and yes, I also ask myself this question when deciding if I should purge or hang onto an item of clothing 🙂
Debbie says
Great post! I hope you include links for your new clothes or tell us where you purchased them.
Dianne@Baking4Six says
Hello –
This is a great post and useful for just about anyone I’d say (children, teens, adults – single, married etc…) For those that may fee like they can’t afford a stylist or would rather budget their money elsewhere – I’d like to add this. When I organize p(actually “purge” – since the main reasons areas need to be organized is due to an accumulation) – I, personally, am much more productive when I involve someone else (my spouse, my child). I am able to let go, get rid of, donate many more items this way and much quicker. This thought came to me when you mentioned that “you already knew all this”, but it was helpful to have the stylist assist you. So, I got to thinking, yes – from my experience it is helpful to have another body offer assistance. AND – thought that I would share that while I personally think a stylist is a great idea – that maybe some people would think this article doesn’t pertain to them since they don’t have a stylist but more people may know someone that is willing to help them out 🙂
I also found a lot of local sites on FB for selling items (similar to craigslist, but much quicker) and a FB site that gives things away for free (similar to freecycle, but there’s always places to donate as well). This is a great time of year to get rid of clothes with “back-to-school” and the changing season.
Rose says
Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!
Please tell us where you purchased those shelf dividers….
Love them!!!
Andrea says
Thanks Rose… they are from Amazon.com 🙂
Dawn Kaestner says
Great post! All of the clothes I own wouldn’t even fill up nine bags–just not worth my storage space. I really enjoyed the wardrobe questions too–great reminders to make smart choices.
Andrea says
Thanks Dawn — and just to clarify, the 9 grocery bags were for both Dave and I from our close and our dresser (Dave purged a ton of T-shirts), and they were the smaller plastic grocery bags (not trash bags).
Anyway, it does feel great to have all that extra weight out of our bedroom!
Debbie says
Thank you for the ideas/self-questions on how to start purging. I have a lot of clothes too that I feel I should keep. My business suits are still around just in case my current work requires it one day, or God forbid I have to go for a future job interview, or start working for a company that requires professional dress code. I have evening wear that are worn once or twice a year that I switch wearing just so people don’t remember I wore it last year. Then living in an area with 4 seasons I have a variety of clothing for each season. These are my reasons for having difficulty purging. I would get rid of maybe 6 shirts but never to the extent that you have. I think I still will have a hard time but will continue to try.
Andrea says
Hi Debbie, I totally understand where you are coming from — but I truly do think that if you honestly answer some of the questions in this post, you could enjoy a much less clutter closet. We live in Michigan so we also have 4 seasons of clothing (all in our one closet) and we have dressy clothing for church, weddings, etc.
What is the worst thing that could possibly happen if you simply purged everything you mentioned that you’re not wearing? Maybe, at an unspecified future time, you could potentially need to re-buy something — but in the mean time, you’ll enjoy a clutter-free closet. I’d say that’s a gamble I’m willing to take 🙂
Debbie says
Very true, Andrea! The worst thing would be that I need to buy a new outfit to replace the purged one. What about the sentimental ties to the clothing? Just thinking about getting rid of my business suits that I wore during my previous jobs kinda makes me sad. It has a lot of good memories of my career experience. Do you have ideas on how to purge that? 🙂
Janis says
Debbie….I can totally relate to your practicality and sentimentality regarding business wear….After I retired, I kept beautiful business suits and career-wear (most were Christmas and birthday gifts from my husband and I, too, had happy work-related memories of the clothing) thinking that I would wear them for church or other events or if I had to re-enter the workforce unexpectedly…..after 2-3 years of not touching them, I finally let go and donated all to an organization that helps women and children – knowing how much they would help someone who really needed outfits to interview and wear to work right now! My motive was to free up space and simply move on, but also I realized that, despite some outfits being timeless, styles change, materials change, the workplace has changed… Consider keeping just a couple of classic outfits in case your situation changes to where you need that style of clothing….and then update with new when it is necessary and you are able to. A new career experience is a fresh start after all….and you will hold your good memories in your heart forever!
Debbie says
Janis, thank you for the advice. It makes sense what you shared. Will start purging away.
Andrea says
Debbie — I’m not the person to ask about “sentimental” anything, because I would say “get rid of it”. I’ve seen WAY too many people holding on to WAY too much sentimental stuff over the years. I see how much stress those sentimental things cause them, so I’ve vowed not to hold onto clutter simply for sentimental reasons.
Your clothing does not hold any memories — the memories will be there with or without the clothes. To me, it sounds like these work clothes definitely need to go. If you happen to get another job where you absolutely must where a suit, I’m certain you’ll be able to find a deal on another one. In the mean time, you’ll enjoy all that extra closet space and probably help a bunch of others who need business clothing right now.
Debbie says
Thanks Andrea. Ya I know I’m a weird one for attaching memories to clothing. Glad to be reminded memories will be there even if they’re gone. Janis’ experience helps to remind me too that by getting rid of most of them it would help others in need.
Andrea says
you’re not “weird” Debbie — it’s actually very normal for many people. I’m just able to see it from the outside and realize how much stress it can cause people. i
Melissa says
I love this post! Lately I’ve been purging my clothes slowly but surely. I’ve held onto them for so long because I’ve felt so much guilt for buying these clothes in the first place. Most of them are brand new with tags, all bought very cheaply since I’m a huge sales shopper. But still cluttering my mind and physical space. So I’m posting them all to ebay. It’s been quite a process, and I know I should just get rid of them and be free. But as a stay-at-home mom right now, it is a way for me to make back the money that I put into the clothes and to be free of all the guilt. I have about one hundred (YES!! I know, it’s ridiculous!) items posted now, and I have more piles to post and I have more to go through.
I have two questions for you……
1) Do you keep wool clothing stored somewhere else besides your closet to protect from moths? Or are all your winter clothes pictured, too? I have one bin under my bed with winter items and I’d love to incorporate it into my closet.
2) Do you have any dressers in your bedroom? Or are all your clothes in your closet? I have two dressers and I would love to ultimately get everything into my closet. Or maybe get a small dresser for my closet for pajamas, underwear, etc. I just love the thought of a really minimal room.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Andrea says
Hi Melissa,
wow, sounds like you’ve really been in “purge mode” lately! I think it’s great that you’re selling things on Ebay, however I would strongly encourage you to allow yourself to simply pack everything up and donate it if you ever start to feel overwhelmed by the whole selling process (or if things aren’t selling). I realize you have some quilt, but until you fully remove all those items from your home, the guilt will always be there, staring right at you.
To answer you questions:
1. Nope, ALL our clothing is in our closet and we’ve never once had a problem with moths or bugs.
2. Yes, we have dressers for socks, underwear, pajamas, and “grubby clothes” we wear for working outside, painting, house projects, etc.
I love the look of our shabby dressers in our bedroom, so I would leave them there even if they were empty 🙂 However, if you like the minimalist look — that’s definitely something to work towards are you declutter.
Good luck!
Leanne says
I loved all those questions!!
for my 44th birthday…I gave myself the gift of style and a planned wardrobe…. I got rid of all the mom frumpy wear and bought shirts and jeans that were stylish, affordable (kids can ruin our clothes)! and could be worn a variety of ways… I’ve pretty much finished shopping for the basics– except for a great bag…. and am now just browsing accessories or pops of color and a “pulled together look….
I gave myself the base colors of navy and gray and went from there!
can’t wait to see pics of the outfits you have!
have you heard the concept of a capsule wardrobe? I love it!!
have a blessed day!
Andrea says
That sounds great! I’ve never heard of a capsule wardrobe — but I think I can imagine what it might be!
At this point, I can’t go too crazy buying new clothes because we are planning to have more children at some point… so I don’t want to buy an entirely new wardrobe only to get pregnant again… but just starting the process by purging, consolidating, and adding select pieces to my current wardrobe feels amazing!
Michele Daggar says
Andrea,
I can’t believe this is your post for today! I was lying in bed thinking about packing for a beach vacation we’re going on soon. The thought of going through my clothes was stressing me out completely! I own way too many items of clothing.
I’m going to go through my closet when I’m done typing this because you’ve made me realize I can purge so much unused stuff! Off the top of my head I know I have at least 3 different fleece jackets, but I really one wear one of them.
Thanks for the inspiration, I can’t wait to get started!
Andrea says
happy purging Michele — and have a nice vacation too!